That font is the old system font. Most apps nowadays use the WarpSans or other more attractive alternative.

Also, this review shows the original text-based installer that was released with early download-only versions of 1.2. See the link to another review in one of the threads above for the installer that actually ships with the product on the CD version (and possibly with the downlaod version too). An absolute doddle to use.

Regarding why to use it:
It's not the prettiest, granted
But I've been using it for over 10 years, without a single virus attack of any kind. Also, the Work Place Shell is a joy to use. Contrary to popular belief, there is plenty of s/w for the platform. It's very stable, and very fast.

Drivers are getting better and better, with a wider range than ever before. Although unfortunately *my* gfx card is not supported out of the box, I can get 1024x768 with the default generic driver, which is not too bad. I can buy a gfx driver that supports my card if I so wish. I'll probably upgrade the card though, at some later stage

There was talk of a "Live" CD at some stage, so that people could try it out for themselves. No idea what happened to that project.